LMPD major accuses union president, 2 colleagues of covering up sexual harassment investigation

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A high-ranking Louisville Metro Police officer has filed a lawsuit against the head of the police union and two of her colleagues.

It all ties back to a pool party held in 2020 that, at this point, is the subject of several lawsuits involving LMPD and, in some ways, led to the ousting of the department's former chief.

The latest case was filed by Maj. Mindy Vance. She's claiming defamation and is blaming the River City Fraternal Order of Police, the head of that union, Ryan Nichols, Lt. Jeff Lauder and Maj. Shannon Lauder.

The case claims the Lauders and Nichols conspired together in a lawsuit aimed at covering up and shutting down a sexual harassment investigation.

That investigation stems from a 2020 pool party at the Lauders home, where Sgt. Lauren Carby claims the married couple made sexual comments and advances toward her.

Vance headed up the Peer Support Team for LMPD. Her lawsuit accuses the union and the Lauders of falsely claiming it was information from peer support that led to the investigation against the Lauders. That investigation is still ongoing.

The police union's lawsuit trying to block the Professional Standards Probe was dismissed. The Lauders have filed a separate lawsuit against Vance and LMPD. Their attorney didn't comment on the case, nor did FOP President Ryan Nichols.

Carby, the alleged victim in all of this, also has a pending lawsuit from this party. That means there are at least three pending lawsuits tied to this pool party in 2020 and ongoing internal investigations.

How does this tie back to former LMPD Chief Jacqueline Gwinn-Villaroel?

Maj. Shannon Lauder said in a command meeting that she couldn't work with then-Maj. Brian Kuriger because he'd sexually assaulted her. Kuriger was cleared in an internal investigation. But Mayor Craig Greenberg told the former chief to resign, citing the way she handled the complaint after a secret audio recording of the meeting between her and Lauder was made public. In the days that followed, a few more LMPD sexual harassment came to light.

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